Leg muscle strains

What do you people use to prevent leg muscle strains or any muscle strain for that matter? I played a match today, and my leg muscles were begging for a break. This isn't common, but does happen about once every two or three weeks.

Squats, Leg Presses, and Stiff Leg Deadlifts once a week. I get on the stair stepper 2-3 times a week too. Be sure to stretch afterward. If you're cramping in matches eat a couple of bananas before you play. If you're muscles are killing you afterward take some Naprosyn or Ibuprofen. Tennis is pretty demanding even when your in great shape. If you get tired in the middle of matches try some of that power bar gel. It's basically electrolytes, carbs, and caffeine it definitely gives you a boost.

First of all, you didn't supply enough data.
Are you fat and out of shape?
Do you practice tennis on a regular basis? What schedule?
Are you naturally prone to cramping and muscle strains?
Are you tall/skinny or short, wide built?
Did you sip water or supplements during changovers?
What was court and air temps?
Where you running and trying harder than usual?
What did yoiu do from the day before? What did you shove down your mouth?

LOL! What DID you shove in your mouth before your match there LT?!? I couple of pints of Guiness Stout from what I heard!!! Lol...... You need to stretch more and you should eat complex carbs (a bagle with peanut butter and a banana) 2 or more hours prior to your match play. 2 hours and sooner, change it to simple carbs (apple juice, a banana, fruit, etc.) Drink lots of water and stretch after your match as well. During a match, do simple carbs and you can try the oatmeal banana mixture if you like. No more than 1 or two tablespoons at a time. You don't want to being digesting too much while you play.............Do the weight training as well. Tougher matches jerk you around the court more and the harder you are on your body, the more you hurt. The weight training will help you get used to stressing your muscles and joints and will really help with the issue you have as well.

Squats, Leg Presses, and Stiff Leg Deadlifts once a week. I get on the stair stepper 2-3 times a week too. Be sure to stretch afterward. If you're cramping in matches eat a couple of bananas before you play. If you're muscles are killing you afterward take some Naprosyn or Ibuprofen. Tennis is pretty demanding even when your in great shape. If you get tired in the middle of matches try some of that power bar gel. It's basically electrolytes, carbs, and caffeine it definitely gives you a boost.

Thanks for feedback

Originally Posted by LeeD

First of all, you didn't supply enough data.
Are you fat and out of shape?
Do you practice tennis on a regular basis? What schedule?
Are you naturally prone to cramping and muscle strains?
Are you tall/skinny or short, wide built?
Did you sip water or supplements during changovers?
What was court and air temps?
Where you running and trying harder than usual?
What did yoiu do from the day before? What did you shove down your mouth?

No, I'm thin and consider endurance my weapon. I do, however have a low bmi. I'm 6'2" about 165 lb with small to average frame.

I play tennis every chance I get. I've only been in San Antonio about five months, but rarely have trouble finding a partner.

I don't think my muscles/ body are overly robust, yet I never thought of myself as injury prone. I believe the problem is more with nutrition and preparation.

Bananas and water was my change over routine. A few times I tried a peanut butter and banana sandwich instead which may have done the trick.

The daytime temperature is normally a comfortable 75 F, while the night is more of a chilly 55 F. It has been awful windy recently.

I play with Nadal's attitude. Never give up on a point until the second bounce.

The day before I had pasta for dinner. My breakfast routine is cereal and whole milk. Actually, I eat so much cereal and milk due to my limited cooking skills. There are plenty of healthy cereals out there in which I choose from. For lunch.. can't remember - and then I hit the courts. As far as what I did the day before: just work which isn't physically demanding.

Originally Posted by tennisking1

LOL! What DID you shove in your mouth before your match there LT?!? I couple of pints of Guiness Stout from what I heard!!! Lol...... You need to stretch more and you should eat complex carbs (a bagle with peanut butter and a banana) 2 or more hours prior to your match play. 2 hours and sooner, change it to simple carbs (apple juice, a banana, fruit, etc.) Drink lots of water and stretch after your match as well. During a match, do simple carbs and you can try the oatmeal banana mixture if you like. No more than 1 or two tablespoons at a time. You don't want to being digesting too much while you play.............Do the weight training as well. Tougher matches jerk you around the court more and the harder you are on your body, the more you hurt. The weight training will help you get used to stressing your muscles and joints and will really help with the issue you have as well.

Stretch?! What's that? Seriously though, I do find stretching so boring and what seems to be non-beneficial at times. I used to stretch all the time and come to think of it, didn't experience many problems.

I tried the oatmeal and banana combo during a match, and it didnt' work so well. Maybe this was because I hadn't eaten 3 or 4 hours prior to the match?

Hmm if you don't do a lot of additional exercise you may want to take a protein supplement after you play. If you're playing as much as you can you might need that little extra boost to help muscle recovery.

Well I lift weights more than I play tennis so I take protein after that, but I usually drink a protein shake with ~26 grams and eat some bananas or pb and j to get around 50 grams of carbs. A good protein bar should have a protein to carb ratio of 1:2. Personally I like the south beach diet high protein cereal bars. They don't quite give the right ratio but the peanut butter ones taste great. I usually eat two if I don't have time to make a shake.

Not too much is the key on the banana and oatmeal. A teaspoon may work for you. Apple juice and water are great as well. Pedialyte. Pedialyte may be the king as it will replace some of the lost minerals......

Originally Posted by Lawn Tennis

Thanks for feedback

No, I'm thin and consider endurance my weapon. I do, however have a low bmi. I'm 6'2" about 165 lb with small to average frame.

I play tennis every chance I get. I've only been in San Antonio about five months, but rarely have trouble finding a partner.

I don't think my muscles/ body are overly robust, yet I never thought of myself as injury prone. I believe the problem is more with nutrition and preparation.

Bananas and water was my change over routine. A few times I tried a peanut butter and banana sandwich instead which may have done the trick.

The daytime temperature is normally a comfortable 75 F, while the night is more of a chilly 55 F. It has been awful windy recently.

I play with Nadal's attitude. Never give up on a point until the second bounce.

The day before I had pasta for dinner. My breakfast routine is cereal and whole milk. Actually, I eat so much cereal and milk due to my limited cooking skills. There are plenty of healthy cereals out there in which I choose from. For lunch.. can't remember - and then I hit the courts. As far as what I did the day before: just work which isn't physically demanding.

Stretch?! What's that? Seriously though, I do find stretching so boring and what seems to be non-beneficial at times. I used to stretch all the time and come to think of it, didn't experience many problems.

I tried the oatmeal and banana combo during a match, and it didnt' work so well. Maybe this was because I hadn't eaten 3 or 4 hours prior to the match?

OK, looks like you got diet somewhat down.
Light stretching during changeovers.
Keep fluids in.
Hit harder, take more chances, go for more winners.
Nobody can run, retrieve, and get forever. Sooner or later, you have to take the effort to play first strike tennis.

I totally agree with all the suggestions about food, supplements, additional weight and conditioning training, stretching etc. I do all of these but still have issues with tightness in my hamstrings, a sure symptom of getting older (I'm 40). What I've found to help unlock the tightness are the high density foam roller and "the stick" massage tool. The combination of these two really works on the legs. I use them before and after playing/working out as part of my stretching routine. I use "the stick" mostly on my quads and calves/outside of shin to knead or roll out the muscles and it seems to minimize the lactic acid buildup and cramping during and really helps with recovery after the workout. The foam roller is great for the hammies in the same respects with the added bonus of loosening up the lower back and hips. I actually use a basketball and a youth low compression softball to get out the hard to get at knots.

Staying loose not only will help with endurance and prevent injury, but will also help with your over all game.

I remember hearing on the local radio about a marathon runner who habitually had sex just before the marathon! I agree with you though - any exertion of energy not devoted to the marathon on that day seems wasted.

Just wanted to bring this thread to the top, so I could thank everyone for their input. As many of you suspected, it was simply a lack of protein in my diet. Haven't had even one problem since! Thanks again.